Green Light with Chris Long - Tyler Shough Talks Kellen Moore, Chris Olave & Becoming The Saints Franchise QB

Episode Date: July 7, 2026

Tyler Shough, the New Orleans Saints starting QB, joins Chris to talk Saints football, taking over as the starter midway through 2025 and New Orleans' upcoming season. The signal caller is excited about the offseason additions of David Edwards and Jordyn Tyson to the squad and is excited to lead the team to new heights in 2026. (00:00) - Intro (01:30) - Saints 2025 Season (07:25) - Offseason Training (10:45) - Difference Between College & NFL (18:00) - Chris Olave & Jordyn Tyson (21:30) - Underrated Players on the Saints (36:55) - Quick Hitters Have some interesting takes, some codebreaks or just want to talk to the Green Light Crew? We want to hear from you. Call into the Green Light Hotline presented by Zone Nicotine and give us your hottest takes, your biggest gripes and general thoughts. Day and night, this hotline is open: ‪[phone]‬ With the return of the Layup Line, make sure to check out the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1olmCMKGMEyWwOKaT1Aah3?si=YP1-ffQ3T_yUDRnJRhDtOw Check out Green Light's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can catch all the latest GL action: Green Light with Chris Long: Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more including hot news items, trending discussions from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA are just a small part of what we will be sharing with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The favorite win was against Tennessee Titans. And to me, it was just kind of like, man, let's just go play football. And I feel like that was a moment as a team. We just had fun. And I think that's kind of what we're going to take into this year is regardless of who we're playing, let's just go out there and be ourselves and have fun. God, what's the movie with Will Ferrell and Danny McBride where he's like, Do you believe in my background?

For me, being able to be a part of three different programs, you've got really great programs and kind of in all different aspects, as a backup, being benched, being a starter, being injured, fighting back to start again. And I was able to kind of learn that all that stuff sounds great, but I think the biggest thing you have to fall back on is your relationship with your teammates. So I wanted to make sure those guys knew who I was and continue. I want to earn their respect. We're on a quarterback streak here at the Green Light podcast.

Tyler Shuck, last year's rookie for the Saints going into year two. a lot to be excited about Tyler welcome to the show appreciate you Chris appreciate you guys man big fan of yours and thank you um excited excited to talk ball with you yeah man excited as well I mean we got to we got to see a good sample size of you last year I thought it was really exciting to watch I enjoyed watching the way you and Chris Oliva and your old teammate juan jeld and all that stuff and all of a sudden you guys are a lot of fun to watch and you you had some um some good wins late in the season, got some meaningful football. What's your favorite memory from 2025 as a rookie?

Like, favorite win? Yeah. That's a good one. I feel like the favorite win was against Tennessee Titans. And I only say that because, you know, obviously you could pick a division rival, but I feel like this was like a culmination of just, we had kind of battled some division. games. We'd won a few. We lost a few early. And this was kind of the point in the season where a lot of guys could have given up against maybe an opponent where they don't have any playoff

hopes or, you know, the bulletin board material of like we should ruin their season or we have this game to win this playoff. To me, it was just kind of like, man, let's just go play football. And I feel like that was a moment as a team. We just had fun. And that was kind of the biggest thing when I kind of came in, you know, we were one in nine or one in ten. I was like, man, let's just, we got nothing to lose. I feel like I got nothing to lose. And obviously you're being evaluated every single snap, especially at quarterback. And it was so great for me to learn and, you know, fail early and be able to kind of bounce back and put together string at games where I feel like we were all just, we're all just jelling. And I think that's kind of what we're going to take into this year is,

regardless of who we're playing, let's just go out there and be ourselves and have fun because there's a lot of the stuff that's not in their control anyways. Yeah, I feel like when, when y'all are, or when a team is struggling, you know, even if you're out of the playoffs, just to get a win makes things just so much more tolerable playing in the NFL. And, you know, I know it's a rookie year, but you can kind of tell the stress level

that comes and goes with wins and losses and that sort of thing in the emotional wave you're riding. Like, just getting those little baby step wins, the first big wins of your career or an era, that can be huge. And that's why I wondered, like, how hard it was to wait for that first big win, like when you're trying to be patient and you get it, I think your first action was against Seattle.

They drop you in against Seattle. And then you're playing Hate Week is your home, your first home start. So kind of a baptism by fire, but like, would you change that? Are you perfectly happy with kind of being dropped in halfway through the first season? No, I mean, I loved it. You know, I had the ability to play against our, our school. out defense the entire year and it was just, I mean, I was treating like a game. Every single rep, every single pocket movement, every throw I was trying to just torture them and do everything I could

to be intentional that way. And going in and you're throwing in against the Bucks defense or Seattle, you know, kind of in the later time. And, you know, there's nothing changing. It's kind of just pedal to the metal. So I feel like I was just really prepared for a lot of those moments. And I don't think I would have necessarily been mentally prepared the same way. How do you maybe start game one. But I think physically, playbook-wise, I felt comfortable,

but I think what you learn from that experience is invaluable. I'm a competitor. I want to play every single snap. So I think that was the biggest thing that I learned from that was kind of taking it into, even when you're starting,

you know, college is completely different. You may get 12 reps on a practice day of something, maybe full speed, or you have a run-pass kill, and it's like, you might have a run look today. So you've got to be super intentional,

about it and and I think that was beneficial for me to learn that early on. Do you think, you know, a lot of people make a big thing. Hey, last 90s baby drafted right here on this show. I don't think, I think that might be it, man, unless we got like a 30 year old rookie this year. Yeah, we got maybe a, uh, you got an LDS guy coming back for. Yeah, dude. Somebody came back from a double mission.

Just rits. Just throwing lasers. I don't know. Don't give people any ideas. So I guess I'm just. wondering, I figure it makes it a little easier to lead, you know, walking in as a rookie. I mean, I'm, you know, I know it's hard to say, well, yeah, I could walk in and lead right away because it's kind of presumptuous. And I know you got to show it and everything and show it

on the field and lead by example. But I feel like when you walk in, like, probably your command of the huddle, because some of the guys you're looking at are your peers. Like, you know, you played with Joanne in college, albeit he's a little bit older. But like, you know, there's some guys on that offense who are younger than you. So does that help? Or is that an overblown thing, just age as kind of a point of maturity when you walk in? No, I think it does help. Just because at certain points in my career, I wasn't a good leader. I had to make mistakes early on.

I don't think anybody is just an outright, you know, great leader automatically. You look at some of our best leaders on the Saints, and they've accumulated, you know, accumulated, excuse me, 15 years. And I think they'd be lying if they said they were that way their whole career. And for me, being able to be a part of three different programs, you know, really great programs and kind of in all different aspects as a backup, being benched, being a starter, being injured, you know, fighting back to start again. And I was able to kind of learn that all that stuff sounds great, but I think the biggest thing you have to fall back on is your relationship with your teammates.

So I wanted to make sure those guys knew who I was and continually I want to earn their respect. So I think that's the best part about football, to be honest, is you were going out to you with your buddies. You're going out to hang out. We're doing all these walkthroughs, you know, talking crap, making jokes. And then we got to go out there and go do it. So I think you kind of learn that over time. And I got a lot more to learn, too, just because I'm still, I'm still very young when it comes to, you know, playing on the field and even in the locker room. Yeah, dude, there's nothing better than hanging out off the field and getting the guys together.

And I wonder for a quarterback like you who, you know, you get nine starts last year. things are abbreviated compared to maybe the way they were in preseason prep and camp length and that sort of thing like back in the day when I played but it's probably a shorter runway to get on the same page and you got some big pieces that are joining you this year and you know draft pick you know free agent running back you know David Edwards coming at guard so do you guys put in the extra time outside of mini camp and that sort of thing to get together and throw or what do y'all do with regards to putting in that time

Yeah, I think that's a great question. It's a huge adjustment for sure. And I think last year, rookie year, that was definitely, you know, not expected from when you get drafted to mini-camp to right away. It's almost like drinking through a fire hose because, you know, each practice schedule, each, you know, install, there's a bunch of them. You're kind of trying to make each play look perfect. And I think over time you just go out there and play and that was something I learned.

But, you know, this year, obviously, completely different being more of a review phase. and there's still new nuances there for the offense, but like you said, you hit the nail on the head is we're spending a lot more time off the field together. I'm going down to San Diego with all the receivers and running backs and tight ends. We're doing a retreat. And Drew Brees is being able to help out with us there.

So we're doing a whole week. I mean, every single weekend, I think, in OTA's mini camp, we had like a different O-Lignment or myself having guys over to the house. You know, we did a big sushi thing, swimming in the pool, you know, barbecue, stuff like that. And like you said, David Edwards, he's been great, just the guys that he's been around. And he kind of knows what it looks like when it comes to, you know, on the field and off the field success. And getting a guy like Trave, who's just a great human.

He's got two little ones as well and one on the way. And I think, you know, we've kind of thought we all have kids around the same age, you know, even our center. So it's kind of been really cool to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able. able to bond with those guys. And I think we're all just kind of really excited to get going back in camp. Probably pretty nice to get out of the, well, nothing against New Orleans, but New Orleans heat and get to go to San Diego for a little bit. Yeah.

Because you're from Arizona? Yeah. Okay, so you're from Arizona. You've played in Lubbock. And now you've played in New Orleans. I got to think New Orleans has got the worst August heat. Yeah, I mean, August for sure. Whenever you're in training camping, you got the Dragonfly.

and the bugs flying around and there's like frogs chirping. You're like, all right. This is cool. When you come outside in the morning, you hear those cicadas, we call them the heat bugs. You don't even, like,

I don't even need to warm up when you go out there on the field. You just kind of stand out there for five minutes and you're good to go. But, I mean, it's a special place because I feel like it gives us, you know, a little bit of a mental advantage. And there's obviously some teams in Florida as well.

And I remember playing Miami last year. And it was, it was just pouring rain and it was like 85, 90 degrees. And I felt, you know, we didn't really miss a beat. We ended up losing that game late, but it was kind of cool because we play in a dome where it's 72 degrees and it's almost, it's almost chilly. So we kind of really prepare ourselves. And, you know, I love doing camp there just because there's an extra element for sure that you got to be able to just push your mind past. Yeah, you got and you guys going, I mean, kind of a natural.

segue to the fact that y'all going to as many long drives as anybody. I mean, you guys, you guys were possessing the football and kind of marching down the field, quick game passing, you know, intermediate stuff. But like one thing I noticed was the amount of long drives you guys had. And then also you did a great job in the red zone, man, which obviously that's a difficult thing to do. And I'm kind of wondering as a passer how much harder it is to operate in the red zone in the pros than it is in college. Is that a huge jump? And like, what do you think have you learned in your first year about operating in the red zone and what's beneficial for a young quarterback?

Yeah, I mean, too full. I think we didn't do a great job in the red zone as an offense. We were kind of one of the lower ones where I feel like we can improve a lot. But I think myself in some of those moments is really just kind of learning about just negative plays. And like you said, sustaining drives. And I think earlier on it was just kind of like maybe chasing certain things. And these guys are too good on defense to just try and force something. And any way you can kind of keep the ball moving.

I think that was the biggest thing that we had too many mistakes on was you get in the red zone and you go backwards, whether it's a penalty or a sack or something. And then it's almost immediately killed. So I think learning from guys like Stafford and the importance of being on time with your footwork and where your eyes are more than anything rather than, hey, we got a first and second down, shot called or quit game. Maybe you can just kind of one, two, three, it. But how do you kind of contextualize it to where, you know, this is who I'm going,

this is who I'm reading, or maybe this area. And it's boom here where I'm running or checkdown. And you kind of have to keep the chains moving that way. In the red zone, is it, for a quarterback, is it less important to get the exact coverage red right and just understand space? Or you, you know, there's only a couple coverages. People are running in like the low red sort of thing. But like, in your head, post snap, are you like,

like, hey, that's two or three, or, you know, like, whatever it is. Mm-hmm. It obviously is play dependent, depending on what we're getting, but I think more than anything, you're trying to figure out what it's not. Yeah. Am I getting zeroed here, or is it kind of, hey, we got maybe a little bit of a softer shell presence, and I'm going to kind of truly read this defender. You know, it's always, that's kind of going through my head regardless of it.

To me, it's more of an emphasis on is my footwork in my eyes in the right place. and you kind of let that instinctual part take over. Right. But I think the coverage, like you said, there's only, the space is tighter. So there's only so many different variations you can play, but that also makes it that much harder. And I think the biggest thing that I think our coaches kind of harp on

is players make plays down there. So a lot of the stuff that's kind of shown in the success in 2025 has been, you know, running the football one. You've got to be able to get yards and then also extending plays and just making a play whenever you need to. You got some wheels, man. Hey, you got some wheels. I'm telling you.

I'm trying, man. I'm trying. People, people were down a little bit, little sneaky athleticism. Little healthy skepticism, you know, six-foot-six guy, six-foot-six white guy. I'm not really sure of it. Then you get out there and you're like,

you got a little Mike Vick in you, man. So, by the way, I just said six, six, okay, six, Okay, six. I appreciate that extra inch, though. I'm not. Well, no, so here you go. Here's what I was going to say. You're listed at 6, 4, and 7 8s.

Yeah, it's unbelievable. So when, dude, why not? Why not she'll be 6'5, man? What do you say where people are like, you're tall? How tall are you? What do you say? You know, do I have, do I have shoes on? Do I have some Air Force ones?

Somebody on the street, bro. Do I got flip-lops? Yeah. It might change. usually just say I'm 6-5, yeah. That's, hey, man, I'm too real for that. How tall are you? I say I'm 6-3 and 3-8s.

So I just tell people the honest truth. I give them my combine. See what your Wikipedia says. 6-3. Yeah. And some change, but I'm not going to round up to 6-4. You can do that because you're only an eighth of an inch from 6-5. So, yeah, no problem, brother.

What's the hardest throw? What throw gets a lot harder when? you get to the pros like what what's what is the concept that becomes a lot harder to throw when you're up here um i think it's any sort of high low concept there's not you know flat defenders it's not like hey we're going to go cover this guy and then now you're throwing it to him it's it's there's always nuance to it as far as how can you manipulate a defender that way i think that's kind of the the trick your part and you have to just be more precise so whether that's a flood concept or, you know, an over with a flat or even, I mean, even like a, like a dagger concept.

So you can kind of any name it, name any concepts you want. It's never clear. You're kind of having to manipulate somebody, which obviously you see those clips of Matthew and certain other guys in the league where at that point you've seen it so many times where you kind of know where you're hunting. And the discipline is to when it's not there, you know, check it down or pop it on the guy where I think that's the fun part of it. So I think that's kind of the one thing.

And always it's whoever's wide open. I think that's one thing. There's so many times where if he's wide open, it's pretty rare. And how do you want to place this on him, whether it's with air or do you just want to drive it on them? And those can kind of be sneaky hard because there's nothing to base it off of. Well, yeah, and there's probably a thin line between overthinking it and just playing ball at quarterback, I would imagine.

And I kind of wonder, sometimes it. If you're in a groove, you talk about those Stafford throws, if you're really in a groove and you're playing really well in a game, is it sometimes hard? You know, because confidence can get you to take some chances. Is it sometimes hard you got to remind yourself like, hey, you know, maybe not too saucy with the look off here. Like, whatever it is. Is that hard? Or are you just like, hey, man, I'm still a rookie. I don't take chances yet.

No, I think it's regardless of the previous play, you have to reset. And that's why I try and you got to. to celebrate with your guys and have fun whenever you have a great play, but it's like afterwards, it's almost like I have to, like, trick myself into, all right, let's, what are we going to face? What are we getting up here next? Because as soon as you feel like you guys are in a groove, then there comes, here comes some adversity and vice versa, too. Like, I feel like I'm not really phased by bad plays. And I've had some, some interceptions or, or sacks where I feel like, it's completely my fault. And I could have been better, but I'm not going to let that determine the

next one because it doesn't really matter anymore where we've kind of been able to convert on some third and longs and if you think about it analytically that way I feel like it helps you out a lot more and then you can kind of post game you can be a little bit more emotional or or in that way or just kind of talk about it yeah you guys can bite off some big chunks one of the guys that obviously does a great job down the field is a lave and he kind of seems like I think he's a perfect fit for what kellen and you and you seem to like doing And I wonder if you could describe the people why he is such a good fit for y'all's offense. Yeah, I mean, he's special because, you know, you have in theory speed guys or kind of like finesse or feel guys.

And I think he's like kind of the perfect combination of both where you can run option routes or overs or sales or basics with him. But that he also is going to run a go ball or a double move because he has that 4-3 speed. I think that's pretty that's pretty hard to get as far as when you can kind of run these shorter intermediate routes and have the understanding to settle here in this zone

unlike a maybe like a true 6 foot 5X which is obviously valuable in his own right but I think he's got that interchangeability and then you add in a guy like Jordan Tyson who's kind of a carbon copy of him when it comes to that feel with these underneath routes but also big playability

I think it's going to be pretty unique. Dude, when Jordan Tyson got drafted, I was happy for the guy. I didn't know the guy at all. I was happy for the guy. The damn reaction is one of the main things I remember from draft night. You see him on TV and see that it means that much to him. Does that make you excited to play with the guy? It does, man, because, you know, I've had some connections at Arizona State

and who had said great things about him and his journey. He had been injured quite a few times. You know, we both broken collarbones. he's had a knee, you know, he was battling kind of a hammy there at the end of the year. And that was kind of the story of me coming out of the draft was I had some injuries in the past. And I was like, man, screw this. I'm just going to go out there and be myself. And I feel like that's the best part about him.

You get to know him is that he's just one of one person. And, you know, obviously kind of getting to work with him in camp as we kind of continue to go forward is going to be even more exciting. What are your impressions of him physically as a player, like kind of his strengths? he's kind of like, I mean, his brother's NBA player for the Cavs, Jalen, he's kind of just like an elite hooper. Like he's just, he's going to go to go go to go hoop regardless. Like he's going to go jump out the gym on somebody. He's going to get open in the most crazy way. But he's also kind of got this grittiness to him that I feel like not a lot of people get him credit for. But, you know, obviously I'm still still very early on as far as, you know, not a whole year. So I'm, I'm kind of

excited to see what he can do when it comes to just a full workload. And it's hard coming in as a rookie, you know, especially a higher pick and, you know, putting pressure on yourself. He cares about so much. I think the biggest thing for him is going to be able to just be out there, be consistent. And so far, even in the walkthroughs and practices, I don't think he's messed up a rep. So he's really smart. So I think we just got to continue it and see where we can go. And it takes all of us. Make this tournament one to remember with Bet, MGM. two-up early payout. Just place a pre-game match result bet on any world's game match. And if your team goes up by two goals at any point, your bet is paid out as a win. That's right. You keep the

winnings no matter what happens next. This offer is available every match. So be sure to get in on the action. And if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code Greenlight. And you'll get up to a $1,500 new player offer on your first wager. BetMGM, make it legendary. I know the run game would be something that'd be nice to get really humming and Travis A-chan coming in. Obviously, you know, kind of a decorated veteran who's already proven he's a thousand-yard rush of that type of thing. What do you want that run game to look like? How do you want to be able to challenge people and then change the way you operate as a passer as a domino effect? I think it's the balance side of it.

I think there's this ability to be in personal different personnel groupings and still create explosive runs and then have plays that complement it. I think Travis being able to be in kind of multiple systems, you know, we want to be able to run the ball from gun, under center. You play action. You know, I feel like that's one thing I've been able to kind of grow at. So I think being versatile, but also having that understanding that we can kind of do it in different ways. and adding a guy like him, you know, playing in a pro style system with Liam last year, kind of being a different system in the gun as well. So he's really smart.

That's kind of one thing that stood out. And then obviously he's got that, you know, that freakish ability. Him and AK are both very similar there that you might, they might score from 60 out and, you know, or run by you or they can go get, you know, four as well. So, you know, I'm interested to see, you know, how he's going to continue to go because he's been awesome so far. I am too. And then, you know, David, we mentioned David Edwards. I feel like just having the knowledge that a guy has picked up, and I mean, he's been in L.A. with McVeigh, he's been in, you know, Buffalo with a Cromer, offensive line coach, legend. They run the ball with authority

up there. I feel like having a player come in who's a veteran and knows how it's supposed to look really helps. Yeah, there's this mindset that he carries that, you know, as offensive players and coordinators, we're trying to hunt the best look possible or the best play and get to the best look sometimes, but that's, defenses are so good, that's probably not going to happen.

And he kind of carries his mindset of just, I don't really, I don't really care. I'm going to run through your face and you're not going to be able to get by me. And I think that's an element that we definitely, you know, need.

And, you know, I think he kind of carries this, this aura in the locker room of, he's such a great dude, but I feel like when he steps on the field, and he starts banging the pads. He's pretty scary. Yeah.

Who else are the guys on offense? You got some, I mean, obvious veterans, but who are maybe the unsung presences in that offensive room that people might be surprised, hey, this guy's a leader for us? I think Eric McCoy and Joanne Johnson have been kind of those steady guys where they've been, you know, longer tenured guys with the Saints, played, you know, with multiple staffs, multiple guys and, you know, kind of had their own journey in their own right. And, um, one, they're some of my closest friends off the field, but two, they also just, I feel like we do a great job as kind of a unit, you know, whether that's leadership or carrying the message

this way. And, uh, I think having those guys back. And, you know, I think Joanne, man, he's, he's due for a huge year. You know, I think he had to, you know, a record setting year last year. I feel like that was, we hadn't really done anything or what he's capable of. So, you know, I'm really fired up for him to see what he can do because he's, he's different, man. His speed, his catching ability, his ability to separate is pretty tough. Yeah, he had just about 900 yards last year. Damn.

Yeah. You get him a thousand. That could happen. Yeah, he's a hell of a player, man. In your tight end room, you had Fant, the young kid dealt. I mean, just looking around the league at some of these teams that employ multiple tight ends, we were talking to Matthew Stafford about it two weeks. ago, you know, their pivot to the 13 personnel stuff and what that does. I mean, you guys see the

value in having all those guys active and up on Sundays. Yeah, I mean, I think that's why, you know, you go get a guy like Oscar and won his physical ability to go out there, and similar to Juwan and separate, you know, former first rounder where it's kind of kind of pick your poison that way with those guys. And then the ability to kind of get down in some subgroups and spread out. And so, I mean, it's, for me, it's, it's a lot of fun. I mean, even this practice, it's a lot, you know, on our play, it's a lot for even the guys to be able to learn some of these different groupings. But you see the success, you know, that they had obviously last year, but also, well, you know, what we're trying to do in adding those guys because, you know, they can really do anything that they're asked of. Who's the scariest?

I mean, you don't have to say you were afraid, but scariest defensive line you faced last year that you see them warming up. You see it. And you're like, damn, I got to deal with these guys. Yeah, no, it's good. Man, it was probably, early on, it was probably the Rams. It's going to say, yeah. Yeah, just they're, I think all four of those guys, I mean, whoever they brought in, you knew it was kind of like, there's usually a circle around maybe somebody, you know,

you're playing this week, or I feel like all those guys were elite. And obviously, you had the guy that they just traded for. and so it'll be great. I think we get to join in practice those guys this year. And what a great opportunity to be able to go against them. And, you know, they've had some great success. Yeah, because that was your first, was that your first start, the Rams game? First start.

Yeah, it was awesome. We got our asses kid. Well, I mean, talk about getting thrown in the fire, not in a negative way, but like, you know, I'm playing the freaking Rams in L.A. It was great just because once we kind of got rolling, I was like, all right, this is just football. I got in popped, you know, play before, you know, by Byron Young and right to the helmet. And I was just kind of like, all right, let's go. And next play was a touchdown.

And we had a lot of adversity. They did a great job that whole game defensively. But I think I learned the most was just the ball control. Like you said earlier, they possessed the ball for so long. I feel like that was the thing that I kind of took from it. we had so many missed opportunities where we only had 40 or 50 plays and it was just like, ah, you know, I think that was, that was really cool to see, but it sucked. But it was like, man, this is, this is important.

Even, you know, you just can't go backwards, but how to we possess this and keep it moving because it just kind of keeps those guys off the field for longer. 43 minutes, 53 seconds. You didn't have the ball much, man. You got to have the ball to win these games. That's crazy. Yeah. That's wild, dude.

But yeah, no, I mean, you, you, you, you don't have the ball much. Your first action against Seattle, your first start against the Rams, and then I think you came home to play the Falcons eventually. Maybe that was your first home game. Did you get the hate week, the hate week vibe? Because that's the one thing I've learned in retirement covering the league is like, damn, there's a rivalry in the NFC South that might be nastier than any of them. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

And I think that's why it even stung that much more was you feel the energy around that week within the city. You feel kind of, you know, they're just that, that whole, that whole environment. I think New Orleans is kind of special when it comes. You really kind of embrace your living there. You really kind of engulf yourself into the city, but you also feel every single moment. Yeah. Because it's kind of so tight-knit.

So I feel like that's kind of one of the most elite, you know, rivalries that I've been a part of. And obviously, you got Cam Jordan in the locker room. It makes it even more fun. His hatred is kind of felt. He kind of carries that on for us. It's out there. He just puts it out there. He doesn't... Yeah.

I don't think he cares about anything. He just... He don't... Cam says whatever, bro. Cam says whatever. He's a beauty dude. And also, the fact that you get... You get these vets, man.

In today's NFL, you're not always, like, around, you know, older guys because they don't stick around in locker rooms. You got Cam Jordan. You have Tassam Hill, who's a Saints legend, basically. You know, I know he's not. there this year but you and tasem probably got to spend a lot of time like i don't know what you might pick up from a guy like that who's got like a thousand yards rushing a thousand yards passing a thousand yards receiving but like what do you get from a tessam hill has seen so much

football just a great player yeah um that's a great one just because he's in a quarterback room every single day and i mean you don't know what position he's going to play that week um where i'm not right next to him locker wise so you kind of see his daily prep you know, how he carries himself. And he's just completely unfazed when it comes to, I mean, he's getting beat up, just brutally every single week. He's squatting 600 pounds in the weight room every single week. He's going out there.

He's taking care of his body. But he's also just has this kind of lightheartedness that I think he's kind of taken just in his own right and being able to learn from Drew and who's like his mentor. And I think the biggest thing I learned from him is that we play an imperfect game. and, you know, it's on us as quarterbacks. We try and be as perfect as possible, but understand that it is imperfect, and how do we just limit those mistakes?

And how do we carry ourselves every single day? And that was really cool to learn from him. And, you know, obviously, you know, wish every bit of greatness for him because he's definitely helped me out in a lot of ways. And I know we're going to definitely miss him if he's not here with the Saints. Yeah, he was a beast, man. Still is.

We'll hopefully keep seeing him play football. but um you i was i heard you on ross tucker's pod talking about you had a like an alien bump from a bruise what yeah what happened dude what what happened uh what part of the body was it it was a it was like my spleen um i still have it seven months later i don't know what it's like scar tissue and um i got a huge hematoma i took a knee of diving for first down against caroline i took a knee to the side and uh have been like just I thought I broke my hip or something like that but it ended up being able to play on it

got like an injection but that night I remember hanging out with some of the guys and I felt I don't know if you've seen the movie God what's the movie with Will Ferrell and Danny McBride where he's like Do you believe in love after love? Which one is it dude? Land of the Lost. Land of Lost. Okay, good fault.

So there's a scene where he's got like this mosquito on his back and he turns over and it's just like this huge lump and about over the course for like two or three hours I just felt like absolute you know dog water and um I had to like called the doctor because I had just developed this just absolute beast um I don't even know if I should show this off camera I can probably show you afterwards but yeah it was fun just the rest of the year I'm waiting to shout up like let's see you know we'll show it and then we can We can edit it out. You can think about it later.

It was... Damn, dude! Yeah, it was... It was good. Oh, my God. And that's a knee. That's a knee. That's what hurts so much.

The knee. It's always the knee. That's nasty. Shout out to equipment, guys. They did some 3D printing, some carbon fiber bat-band suit, and it was good to go. Yeah, man.

I remember one time I had a thigh bruise back. where I went out to the bar after the game with the guys and then I got carried out of the bar. Not because I was drunk because I couldn't walk. It just suddenly I went to the bathroom, walked into the bathroom, couldn't walk out of the bathroom. Yeah, it was like it bursts at once. I don't know if you felt like it just blew up at once kind of like that. No, I was drinking a beer and I was like this, I'm going to, I feel like you were drunk, but then, but like I just, this is one beer.

Like, what have I, what have I turned into? That's crazy. I look down, you know, walks from. short. It was good, though. Did anybody make you pay for, was there a moment where, because I was teaching you about how well you run, but like earlier, like, you, you tuck and run it sometimes, and you probably look up and say, oh, shit, like, maybe a mistake to tuck it here. Was there any moment like that this year? Who was probably, who's a guy who laid up the green grass pretty fast on you? I remember like Antoine Winfield. You know, it was a muddy game.

I was kind of running a little bit more of that game. I remember that. So he kind of just came down from the free safety spot. I got like three yards, four yards. I saw him just flashed. I just got down immediately. I was like, you got it, bro. I'm not like, I'm going to either slip in this mud or at that point in the game.

And maybe it was, I think it was four minutes. So I think it's protecting the ball in yourself. But that was, that's one thing that you learned from around the league is, you know, get as much yards as you can. but also just protect yourself. You got a lot more ball to play, and how do you kind of protect the ball that way? Because guys are so good at punching it out. Yeah, the one, dude, business decision.

That's the one position we're okay with making a business decision is y'all. We're going to be pissed if you get lit up repeatedly on the sideline tiptoner, that type of thing. I kind of wonder if you love the design run stuff, like, because you guys can actually put some of it in. And then, you know, two-part question here, do you love the design run stuff and then when you make these business decisions is it do you think it's

harder for you because you are taller like is it hard to slide like were you always a a natural slide guy you know what i'm saying there's some guys that struggled i remember like russell wilson who's a tremendous athlete probably a hall of famer he was like struggling to slide like he kept getting his foot caught he had to like learn how to slide is that always an easy thing for you or being taller Is it harder? No. That's good. That's a good question because it's a lot more analytical than you think.

The first part, I do like the design runs. I think having that ability, especially against a look that you want or having that kind of built in, it's really hard to cover. And I think that's kind of the part of my game. I want to continue to build off of watching guys like Josh Allen who I'm a huge fan of. But it's also about kind of protecting your. yourself, like you said, within that right, transitioning into.

I think if you're running full speed, it's a little bit easier to slide whenever you kind of got long strides because you have that momentum. If you're kind of dancing or it's really close, you don't really have any momentum going forward. So you kind of just, it's easier to dive forward. And obviously, you're protecting your body and you've got to protect the ball. But whenever you're going full speed or you're out in space, it's almost worse. Just diving on your shoulder that way.

it's kind of hard to explain, but if you have like a not full speed momentum, then you can get down. I think it kind of depends on the situation. Third down, fourth down, you know, you're not sliding. But I think it's a little bit more dependent that way. I think, at least that's how I think of it. Yeah. Well, yeah, damn, protect yourself, bro. What's the loudest stadium you played in last year?

You talk about like just being a rookie and walking in these stadiums. Was there any of you walked into you were like, damn, this is, this is one of those places. because you guys got a tremendous home field advantage. Yeah. Yeah, I was just going to say the Dome was, I mean, early on, like home games, I was like, this is, this is awesome. It's wild. Just the conditions that they have, the hood out chant, you know,

it gives you goosebumps every time. I would say in a way stadium, I think would be Seattle. Yeah, I think they had a kickoff return early on in the game. And we're like, yeah, that's, that sucks with this. Oh, yeah. Yeah, they jumped y'all. Yeah, it was. really early you know it was they had you know some big special teams plays and um the crowd was

going early on and that's a tough place whenever you they have some momentum they've been winning like that there for a long time though because we used to be in their division and you go up there every year and it's like uh they find a way of score on defense or a kick return or that sort of thing to get a turnover and then the top blows off the place i think it's one of the best stadiums in sports and you guys if i think the top three loudest is y'all kansas city and Seattle, no particular order. They're different kind of loud. You know what I mean? Yeah. And shit, when you all score and play

that, what is it? Is it Yinyang twins or I don't know what to have my age here? Yeah, yeah, there's always a throwback for you for some of that stuff. I think that's my era. I think that's your era. Okay. Let's listen to that in preschool.

Okay. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, shit, you were two years. Chronic 2001. I'm thinking you're like a freaking toddler, dude. That makes me feel old. All white unis, true or false, the best unies you guys have. You should wear them all the time in my opinion. True.

I think you got the alternate ones. Those are sick. Do you like the gradients? What is that the black? Like the black one? The black with the gold dots. It's all right. I think I like the all white better.

Yeah. I feel like we, I mean, there was kind of like this, I guess, stigma they hadn't won in black but the black helmet but we were able to to win in it but i don't know i think it's a i think it's cool whenever you can kind of wear an all black or an all white but uh yeah the white and gold though i think gold is such an elite elite color that way where you can kind of blend it is you guys get better and you play in more and more primetime games and that sort of thing i actually don't know how many you guys have this year i don't know saint's schedule let me pull it up you i think it's one do you look at the is that something one of the first things you look at like when you see a schedule

not that you have like a long career to look back on and say hey like what did i like what did i like what do you look at when you look at the schedule do you do you look at hey by week do you look at um well what what do you look at um i mean it's the first game for me is just kind of like whenever you're kind of watching stuff and and who you're going to go against um but obviously yeah there's obviously the logistics side of like how you know can family come to this game or you know can we go to this and that's kind of happens naturally but i don't know i don't really have much reference yet as far as like man we really had some momentum we had a bunch of prime time games or we didn't because it's just like i don't know you're not really that week you're not really

caring about it you know you're just trying to you're trying to prepare and operate so i guess that's a good question for you were you kind of more like oh man we got six prime times and we're rolling. I never had the prime times for eight years. We were so bad. We, I didn't know what a night game felt like. And then all of a sudden at the end of my career on good teams, you're starting to figure out, um, that like it's a whole other thing. You've been wishing for these eight 15 starts because you want to be on the big stage. But there's nothing worse than sitting around the hotel all day. Uh, you're just like a caged animal. I mean, for you, it's more of a controlled art form. But like for us, you know, I don't need any more time to prepare. How many ways can

I line up in a nine technique and go, you know, it's, uh, you guys probably, you know, enjoy, enjoy more time to, to break down tape or get edges schematically. And the one thing I think that sucks sometimes is the short weeks. And now the variation and there's some play, you know, some games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And you don't have any international games yet, but that's a whole other thing. So good luck with all that. Yeah, we get to play in, in Paris this year. So that should be, um, who you play in Paris? Who do you play in Paris? Who do you play in Paris? The Steelers. Oh, man. Yeah,

should be great. Well, you guys should have some French fans, dude, with the Florida Lee, but I think the Steelers draw a pretty good international crowd. I know they do. They travel well, but I think we got a pretty good home crowd there. I was able to go to Paris earlier on this year with

my teammate and our owner. Yeah, it was awesome. I mean, it's pretty unbelievable how many NFL fans are there. Because this is the first game that we're going to be to play. Oh, dude, that's a man, that's going to be actually pretty awesome. That's going to be a little history. You can make a little history. Did you grow up a fan of a team in Arizona? Were you a Cardinals fan? Yeah, I mean, I was a huge Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner. I remember, I don't know if it's a

throwback or not around anymore, but in Sports Authority, it's like the old school kind of dick sporting goes. Sports Authority was a spot in Arizona. And I remember me and Larry and, and, It was just, I was fired up and then now getting to kind of talk with Kurt and being able to text back and forth with him on just film. And it's pretty cool. But I remember, I remember that game versus Steelers. I remember crying as a kid. I was just like, this is a brutal finish. This is the worst way to lose.

Jolly. But, you know, did you stick with them after they were good and they weren't as good? Were you a real one that way? Would you stick with your team? Yeah. I mean, for sure, I think there were some years afterwards that they were obviously as good as, you know, they had the Super Bowl run. And, I mean, shoot, I was a Tyron Matthew fan going to his podcast and talk with him. He was a beast.

So it's really, it's been really cool to kind of follow those guys. And I feel like as you get older, when I was in college, you kind of become more fans of, you know, your guys on teams, your teammates, stuff like that. so that was more fun to watch those guys. After your great year at Louisville, did you get a message or did you ever meet Lamar Jackson? No, no, I was. I was not a Louisville legend like Lamar was, man. I had a great experience there, a great year, especially with the Brahms. I mean, I love it.

I would live there as long as I could, but he's obviously, he's a different level when it comes to Heisman. But I got some texts from, it's funny. You know, the mannings and Drew Brees and a lot of the local New Orleans people, that was really cool. So, but I definitely would like to be like Lamar, but there's nobody like him. Brom's a pretty intense guy. Yeah, he's great. He's like, chew your face off or wrap your arm around you right afterwards. And he's really smart.

I feel like at this point, I feel like he'd be in that coach in the NFL at some point, but I think he does a good job there. and he's got the whole family crew at Louisville. He's from there, so it's kind of a dream for him. The question, I'm going to let you go on this one. This is one of my favorite videos of all time. Have you seen the Jeff Brom video? Yeah, let's play football. Where he's danged.

Yeah. I mean, I might have been the reason I committed there to, like, soul. I have no idea. Yes, it is. Do I have a pulse? Let's play football. I mean, it's electric. I'm not joking.

He, like, pregame, he'd come over to you. And he's like, all right, thinking this play, blah, blah, blah. He's like, and he'll, I can't, like, I don't know if he can curse or not, but he's just like. You can curse. He's just, like, he's just like, all right, just like, don't fucking throw an interception. Go play football. And throw strikes. Let's go.

Yeah, literally. I'm on the headset. He's just talking to you. What a legend. Yeah, it was great. Glad to hear that. I'm glad to hear at your age, you know that video too, because that's one of the best videos of all time. Tyler Shuck, everybody, heading into year two, can't wait to see him play.

One of the young guns we got in the NFL, and I'm glad he's up there. So thanks for coming on the show, dude. Appreciate Chris, man. Thanks for the opportunity. Of course. I hope we can connect again in the future. Yeah, dude. Come back on another time.